Side by Side Comparison of: LimoStudio vs AmazonBasics vs Cheaplights vs Pacon

Love this set! It's great for beginners like myself and really simple to set up 😄

I was greatly impressed with this setup. The quality of the photos came out great with the lighting. The muslin backdrop was wrinkled but worked fine for my application. I would recommend this kit.

I bought this setup to take fashion products photos for my online shop. For the price, I am stunned to have found something of such great quality that comes with everything you need. I normally use natural window light, but the additional lights are perfect for fill-in or to keep shooting when the sun goes down. I'd say the lights add a colder rather than warmer tint to your photos, but that can easily be fixed in your white balance or edit in raw if you want a warmer look. The backdrop is super wide and tall enough for a 5 foot 9 model to stand in the frame (in heels!). I am still experimenting with all you can do with this set. The possibilities are endless.

Very nice equipment. No issues. The bag that comes with is is big enough to fit all of the stands in it to keep everything together. Definitely a bonus. Highly recommend the product.

I needed something to use for a family photo session on vacation and bought this because I'd lost the camera shoes for my old and much more expensive tripod. The pan/tilt is smooth, elevation crank is fairly smooth as well. The weight hook at the bottom of the tripod is a great addition and is needed since the tripod is light--if only I'd used it for the family photo since it was a windy day and the tripod was blown over. There is a leveling bubble (works well) and the handle is a welcome addition. While I've only used it for a few hours over the course of a couple of days in a sandy environment, the leg locks held well and all moving parts are still working without grit. I'd buy it again if the need arose.

I bought this since March 2016 so I have been using it for one year and more now. I purchased it after my first tripod broke which was a cheap one nothing fancy and I can't remember the brand even. I then saw this which was in the perfect price range to me but i didn't think that it will be a very high quality when i purchased it. this stuff is great and it can handle my canon700D and i used it a lot for one year and it never failed me. it's not heavy and it has a handle where you can hold it when moving other places. i still use it to this moment.

I am absolutely in love with this tripod. It does everything that I wanted from it and more. It allows me to take perfectly stable pictures and videos from my iPhone. I bought a universal mount and it fits right on here. The height is adjustable and it locks into place. You do not have to worry at all about it falling out of place. There are actual locks on the sides of the tripod so tht you can love it at 3 levels. Short, medium, and tall. You can easily maneuver your phone or camera. I used this with my phone and it works great. It is pretty stable for a lightweight tripod. It arrived in perfect condition and I have experienced no problems with it. It is easy to work and you are getting a truly quality product for a low price.

For the money, this is a great product! For around $20, I was expecting a basic, low quality product to get me by. All it had to do was hold my camera (Nikon D5000) in place and I would have been satisfied. To my surprise, there are features included with this tripod that are on $40+ tripods! Two different bubble levelers, one for the base and another for the camera, an independent crank riser for additional height, multiple tightening locations to keep your camera in place, and the ability to hold your camera in both landscape and portrait.Since receiving this tripod, I did a "test" where I installed my camera and left it alone for almost five days with the legs fully extended and positioning locations locked / secured. This tripod held its position without any trouble, easing my concerns about it falling over and damaging my camera.One issue I found is related to my specific camera (See Image). When attached to the tripod, I am unable to flip the screen around due to the locking arm being in the way. This is not a major issue since you only need to release the camera, flip the screen as desired, and re-secure.Overall, I'm completely satisfied with my purchase and would strongly recommend it to anyone. Take a look at my added images where I give a closer look of its features and capabilities.

My new point and shoot camera may be cheap but it can take Full HD videos and wide-angle hi-res still shots. I plan to annoy my friends, family, and fishing buddies by taking Full HD videos of them. For that I need a tripod. Nobody likes shaky videos. I was surprised to learn how affordable such a useful accessory can be so before spent my 27 bucks I watched some utoob videos on how to select and use a tripod (I think I might need a monopod too!). And, of course I read the Amazon user reviews. Only SEVEN one-star reviews, as I write this, against 246 5-star reviews. The few bad reviews seemed to concern the tripod being shaky when the center tube extension was cranked up and/or the total lack of instructions.I think the two issues are related and Amazon could eliminate 5 of the 7 bad reviews by including instructions. The center tube IS shaky, even when it's all the way down, until you tighten the collar.I had never touched a tripod before this one. It's not hard to figure out but don't clip your new camera into the quick release mount until you are sure you know how to remove and replace the mounting plate and FULLY lock the cam lever. That may be why one of the 7 reviewers that gave one star was unhappy. I have uploaded some photos to the gallery that might help locate all the locks and to tell when the quick release is seated.Since I'm not going to be recording combat or Kardashians this Amazon Basic unit will do just fine. It's light,well made, sets up or takes down easily, and, when all the locks are tightened, very steady.The professionals recommend hanging some weight from the center hook because it keeps the wind from wiggling everything and makes the whole assemble more resistant being knocked over by fishing buddies, especially on uneven ground. The professionals recommend using your camera bag but I plan on trying a bucket of ice and a six-pack.With the center tube cranked all the way up the lens of my camera is 63 1/2 inches high. The quick release feature will be handy for swapping to a small telescope. It's not really quick at all if you don't have a second mounting plate and need to unscrew the plate from the camera and screw it onto the scope. The Velbon QB-4W Quick Release Platform fits the base and is nearly identical to the original plate.I bought this tripod for my second digital camera, which is about half the size of my first one. I know there are brackets available that let you use the camera in your cell phone or tablet. You can mount spotter scopes or binoculars too. Who knows what cameras will look like 5 years from now, but I bet they will have a screw mount in the bottom and a tripod will still be a good idea.

I absolutely LOVE this tripod. I have no clue how such a versatile tripod can go for so low...but hey just one more reason to LOVE Amazon.com!!As you can see I have no arms so I need a tripod that is lightweight but full on perks...this tripod is EVERYTHING I hoped for & then some!!!!It is VERY easy to operate from manipulating the height to changing the swivel points for various angles. The knobs are nice & big making screwing/unscrewing very easy & effortless.I got this for my Makayama iPad case & it works seamlessly with it.Great product! Great pricing!! Thanks Amazon!!!![...]

I think this whole set up is great for the price. Everything is really easy to set up and take apart.Negatives: it only comes with a storage case for the backdrop set up and not the lights and their stands. Makes packing up for travel a bit challenging.Also, it only comes with two clips for the backdrop, which doesn't matter much if you 7se the white because it has a slot to slide on the pole. However, when using a different background at the full 10 feet, two clips just aren't enough.Anyway, it all works well and I've experienced great results using all of it for indoor photoshoots.

I absolutely love this tripod. It's great quality, especially for the price, and has a bunch of awesome features you don't often find on a tripod at this price point, including the telescoping top portion and the level.There are two things that drive me bananas, and these are the reason I gave 4 stars rather than 5. First, there's no case! It does have an attached carrying handle, but when I'm on a shoot I have so much stuff I would much rather have the choice to wear it on a shoulder strap or looped over my arm rather than having to dedicate a hand to it.Second, the mechanism that holds the camera plate on can't be closed if the plate isn't attached. I prefer to leave the plate on my camera most of the time, so that means the little bar is sticking out unless I actually have my camera on the tripod, which has already put a bruise on my arm. These two little irritations don't create enough of an issue that I don't love the tripod, though!

This is a pretty good tripod for the value. It's sturdy yet lightweight and easy to use. At first I had some trouble setting up the upper portion and my DSLR camera would just fall flat, but finally I figured out how to tighten it. I wish it came with better directions. I appreciate the carrying case to keep it in. It's nice and sturdy and feels very secure. The height is perfect for most of the shooting that I do and it's very easy to stand up and take down.

It's a perfect , simple, basic , beginner tripod ! If you're newer to photography and tripods buy this one first! I swear it's great to learn on and super durable. I brought it to the ocean all the time and the redwoods. I used it until I got my fancy smancy expensive one (that's amazing) but I'm glad I got this one first before I committed. Buy it.

I bought this to replace a clumsy old tripod that an elderly uncle gave to our grandson with a nice, tough little spotting scope. Mounting and manipulating the spotting scope was frustrating for him, so I went looking for a quick-connect hookup to upgrade the old tripod. It was actually cheaper to buy this whole tripod, which has a quick connect adapter.It's not tough construction (like the old tripod) but is easy to use, and should last until it's clear whether grandson will have long term interest that will justify a higher quality (more expensive) tripod. I did buy the "insurance" that was offered at time of purchase, which I seldom do. In this case, I think that might be a good decision.I also bought two extra QD-4W plates. I'm not sure they are the correct fit -- don't feel right. Sure would be helpful if Amazon would share how to select the exact right plate.

I really like this tripod, but would like to see a little more rigidity, the hook for a weight is a must and a good feature.Used it a lot over the forth of July, sighting several firearms and it worked well as long as we were careful not to bump any part of it.A bump required re-setting it back to where it was positioned before.Good purchase for the money, a light weight camera works well on this 'pod.Easy setup and take down, and I like the carry bag with shoulder strap as well.I would recommend it.GabbyPS suspending a heavy sandbag from the bottom hook really helps to stabilize everything much better than just the tripod alone.Duh that's why the hook is there. LOL

This was supposed to be a momentous occasion for me, my first ever tripod, and yet, it's not what I expected.My initial search in Amazon was travel tripod so I assumed that the tripod would be travel size, thin, light and sturdy; the high reviews were also a factor in my purchase but this product was a bit bulky and heavy for my taste. I don't doubt the reviews, it is an awesome product, it's sturdy, and very versatile in terms of manipulating its parts for different purposes, its packaging was also executed well, you can really feel it's a premium product but it's just not what I was expecting since my camera doesn't need all that quality. It's like laying out a foundation for a skyscraper but only building a 3-story house on it.On other news, I now use it as a stand for my projector whenever I watch my home movies. So I guess that's close enough.I recommend this tripod for those who have DSLR cameras, not the light mirrorless cameras, point and shoot cameras, cellphone cameras, or toy cameras.

easy to use, and move around- the umbrellas came with rusted areas, and the drape was dirty- but still a good deal

I just wanted a studio set up to use for my fashion blog, and this works perfectly! The lights are way bigger than I thought- the bulbs for them are as big as my head! I love the cool, bright light they give off! The only problem I have with this set is that the backdrop it came with is SUPER wrinkled and, even through washing and ironing, I can't get the folds out, and the backdrop stand is bowing in the middle just with the weight of the thin backdrop it came with, so I'm afraid to buy a different, unwrinkled backdrop because I don't think the stand will support it.**The photo I've attached is of the backdrop after washing, drying and ironing**

The Muslin wrinkles very easily, cannot remove them no matter how much ironing or steaming you do. You'll need a different backdrop so please don't count on this one. The light bulbs were the best part of this package! Unfortunately, I broke one immediately after opening the box. The umbrellas are great.

The lights are incredible and I love the lighting stand, feels fairly safe. The umbrellas are good too and while the light appears slightly blue to me, my camera interprets it as pure light that looks great when photographing people or products.However, the white muslin backdrop is incredibly hard to get wrinkles out of, in fact I couldn't get them all out in time for a shoot. It seems to me it would be smarter to have them rolled loosely but bound before they're shipped, that way they never get wrinkled. The first use I had for this was for a shoot with four babies between 2 and 8 months so they were rolling around and grabbing it so the wrinkles don't bother anyone because they're babies. But a professional shoot with a model it might be a problem because you can see the wrinkles (this is after about an hour and a half of ironing to smooth it out). If a way to have them delivered wrinkle-free and rolled isn't figured it out, I'd stick with seamless photo paper. It's a bit pricier, but it'll give you the look you want. But the upside to the muslin backdrop is that it's lightweight and easy to transport, and the backdrop stand is easily assembled and dissembled, which is great if you need to transport it anywhere. I just wish the bag was a little roomier because it's a tight fit for the lighting stands and the backdrop stands, etc. I love Limostudio and I'll always buy from them, however probably not backdrops. That's ok they still have plenty of other things that are perfect quality.

OK for the price and the sheer amount of gear you receive, but it may not be enough for most subjects. First thing, before buying any lights, I recommend renting to gauge your wattage needs. These lights are not very bright compared to my expectations, the umbrellas do not defuse the light much, and all parts feel a little flimsy. All the lock-downs are basically a screw tightening two pieces of fairly soft plastic together. But so far, none have failed. I haven't used the backdrop at its maximum width, made by combining four bars that the muslin (white backdrop) slides over and hang from, which is then attached to the top of two tripods. But with three, the center dips a little already. So I'd be afraid to add the fourth bar or attach anything to this part of the frame or use any kind of heavier material in place of what it ships with. And what it ships with is difficult to get the wrinkles out of. It comes with two clamps. I bought four more and think this (6) is the minimum number necessary for use with the backdrop, just to stretch it out. Where the backdrop curls and touches the ground, I used gallon water bottles as weights. Finally, I used the included lights for lighting the backdrop itself (without the umbrellas), and bought 36x48 foamcore cards to block the lights from lighting the subject. This is just to try and get a clear, unwrinkled backdrop. I was shooting products but needed additional lights for the subject itself. I would be afraid to use this set with a person, as all of the above would have to be out of the background of your shot/video, and the included lights wouldn't be powerful enough to light the backdrop if moved further apart. So all in all, a decent starter set but depending on your subject, you will likely need to round it out with additional lights or other parts. Certainly more clamps.

The backdrop is poor quality very thin and and isn't easy to de-rinkle. The back drop stand is so flimsy and was missing pieces. The lights where good the umbrellas where mediocre.

It's really not bad, considering the price. But it has some fatal flaws:- there is too much friction in the plastic-on-plastic joints, which makes the up/down and left/right swivel actions very difficult to fine-tune- It's so lightweight that it'll be top-heavy if you have a heavy camera/rigging- The light weight also makes it impossible to not move/nudge it while adjusting it- the large mounting shoe covers the battery/SD card hatch on the bottom of my G7X. So I have to totally remove it in order to change the battery or put in a fresh storage card, negating the "quick" part of the "quick mount" system.The good parts:- it's light weight makes it nearly effortless to carry around- lots of flexibility in height adjustment

One design flaw: There is a spring in the lever that holds the threaded camera base attachment to the tripod. This spring pops out easily and is almost certain to be lost when it does so. Ours is. Now the lever flops lifelessly. It still works, but we no longer have the spring aiding us is setting the lever in the locked position, so we have to be careful when doing so to make sure the lever is locked. Otherwise, the camera could fall off the tripod. Something I am not interested in experiencing with the Sony a6000.But ... it was cheap. So I reckon I can't complain too much.

So to make this quick as I can make it, this tripod is awesome. Is just the right height for my videos (where I need it's to be my same height) Its very easy to take it everywhere. The things is it came broken. The the top of the book was opened and had been taped back down (not well) by the mail service. I don't really know the name of it ,so please excuse my description ,but the black hook-like piece that goes from the top of the tripod to the center piece came broken. It's was a little bit disappointing since I was given this for Christmas. I have used this tripod around 6 times and it's been great. Recommend. Hope it doesn't come broken tho.

It's kind of flimsy in the field but lightweight enough to do the job when all you need is stabilization, such as shooting panoramas or even timelapse "selfies" to document a work procedure in stills or video unattended. Two of the rivet-like pins came loose after only a couple of weeks, but they can be replaced with #4-40 bolts if you use aircraft style safety nuts to keep from losing those, too. I'd get a heavier tripod for where rock-solid stability is required due to wind loading or similar things that would shake a camera, or with a longer lens than about 250mm. It jiggles too much in the slightest breeze for time exposures through a telephoto lens, but it gives nice night exposures with shorter lenses if shielded from wind.Good for a lightweight tripod to carry where a high dollar heavy one would be too cumbersome, where if you break or bend it, it's not a huge loss to replace it. It's probably excellent with a lighter weight camera and lens assembly. With the legs fully retracted, it's great on a workbench to photograph repair or assembly procedures when writing a manual. The legs have enough different extension capability to level and stabilize the camera in rugged mountainous terrain to get those special shots that might be impossible to do handheld. Combined with the remote control wireless or wired shutter triggers, you can shoot pro quality scenes on a very low end budget.If this one finally breaks beyond repair, I'll probably get another similar to this because I'm not ready yet to invest in another heavy Bogen tripod that someone who doesn't always look before he backs up an SUV might run over like happened to the last one. I could buy more than ten of these for what it would have cost to replace the Bogen.

This tripod is okay so long as the camcorder or camera/lens you have isn't too heavy. That is to say the tripod is light weight, but it is not sturdy enough to trust with a load over, say six pounds. And then one must be very, very careful that no sudden shocks occur that may topple everything. Make sure when it isn't used for panning that the adjustment areas are locked down between uses/scenes, otherwise the camera & lens may drop down on the stand ... the weight of the stand will not help to keep it stable.However, its lightweight is good for mobility purposes.If one have expensive camera/lenses then it is probably best to use a carbon fiber tripod which may weigh a little more, but is more stable.http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005KP473Q?redirect=true&ref_=cm_cr_ryp_prd_ttl_sol_1

Very convenient tripod at a good price. It sets up nicely and is fairly straightforward, though it's not always clear what does what when you first start out. I got this to hold an iphone for recording and it does this rather well when you purchase an additional mount.My main gripe is that the tripod wobbles if you try to change the angle. This basically means that for quality recordings, you can't move it without messing up the footage. I tried using this to record a dance performance, but when I changed the angle using the handle, the picture wobbled, and the audio picked up on the noise.This is unacceptable in my opinion, but maybe you have to pay a lot more so that this is not an issue. Maybe it's more of an issue with a smaller device like an iphone doing the recording. I really don't know. This is my first tripod.If you don't need to move it, it's a good buy, and the carrying case makes it rather portable. I give it 3.5 starts

For the price you probably can't go wrong. But it is flimsy, the lights broke after a short use and only turn on by being plugged in. The Poles don't support good quality backdrops.

Everything was ok, besides one of the tripod background stand it would not secure the extended bar in the middle. So instead of having a 10 ft background I ended up with about 6.5ft. Pretty bummed out.

This is a very basic, beginners tripod. It has a decent tilt/swivel head and telescoping riser for the camera, and the legs extend back and forth with ease.What kills the quality on this tripod are the completely flimsy, loose-fitting rivets on the metal bars that connect the lower legs to the center column. I don't know how else to describe them. They are completely flimsy, and I wouldn't be surprised if they didn't fall apart after even moderate use.If you don't plan to take this on trips often, and instead will keep it relatively stationary in a studio, you *might* be satisfied with this tripod. But I personally feel that just about any other low-priced tripod would be a step up over this, because of the very poor construction.

Not a fan of this tripod. Very low quality, difficult to adjust since the legs don't glide very smoothly, and the camera fits loosely on the head even when fully clamped down. Can not recommend this tripod to anyone. Spend a few more bucks for something better.

Pros: it's cheap. Cons: it shows. I used this outside all summer long as a mount for a 7" monitor, every day. It cannot be used all the time; it breaks down. Screws start falling out of it and the legs begin to unclip easily. This is a nice tripod to buy for $15 maybe to shoot video or pictures casually but I would not trust this to have any serious equipment on it at all or stand up to regular every day use.

Weight is great. Very cheep quality head. Very hard to adjust (pivot) camera. Feels as if its tightened even when its not, just waiting for it to break. Gets annoying when you have to move it only a small amount (say 5-10 degrees). Not sure even at that price is worth using more than a few times. Oh spring/clip that keeps release lever open until bottom of camera attachment is inserted, flew out after first use.

This is a great lightweight tripod that has all the features and adjustments that you might think of. My only thought that because it is lightweight, a heavier camera like a DSLR would be less stable. That is of course what the hook on the bottom is for though. As for me, I just use a point and shoot and this works just fine.Update: As of August 29, 2015 one of the leg clasps broke off completely. The tripod is now inoperable and unable to be repaired. So it lasted about 4 months. Should've bought a more quality tripod.

Let me start by saying I like Amazon; order from them multiple times per week. So I am a fan.But this tripod was a fail for me. For a kid, or someone on a major budget this would be fine, but for anyone remotely serious or particular this photography product won't work.Pros:1.) Inexpensive2.) Some thoughtful designs: levelers, grips etc.3.) Fine for a newbieCons:1.) WAY too many plastic parts. I'd much prefer to pay another $50+ for a QUALITY product (this is what I'll be doing).2.) The swivel was horrendous. It moved with "clicks" and a lot of resistance, this irritated me above all since one of the main features didn't work3.) The legs didn't slide out very easily.4.) Cheaply made

This review is based on my first use of this tripod, which I purchased for an overseas trip to use with a GoPro Hero+ which is a small, lightweight camera.I wanted to like this small, portable tripod, however; the 3-way head attachment broke after one use. There are 4 plastic "fingers" that create the hinge on the 3-way head and allow it to pivot and also via the handle, lock the head into position.I attempted to lock the tripod head into position, but it kept slowly dipping in the direction of the hinge and gravity. So I took the 3-way head assembly apart and found the hinge elements to be broken (see red circle in the photo accompanying this review). As you can see, all four of these fingers are broken (they should be rings, not semi-circles), rendering the tripod unusable after less than one use.All other features of the tripod seem to be in working order.TIPS:It is very lightweight, so it will have balance issues if not weighted properly along the bottom horizontal legs when fully extended or at an angle.The carrying case is a nice touch - but offers no padding or protection during transport.

We just received this tripod two days ago and already the "O" ring has broken with only limited use. This purchase should include spares if this is common problem.

After 4 months of light use, one of the legs already has issues. The thing won't close around the leg and so that leg is always a bit off.Before this issue, it worked fine but issue with the leg started almost immediately after receiving it but finally became a bigger issue now.

it is not at all sturdy and does not stay in the position. the weight of camera and lens keeps falling down and if not careful, you can break your lens.

Very poorly made. The handle was broken into several pieces upon delivery. Do not waste your money; for just a little more you can get a Dolica tripod which is very well made and sturdy.

The item arrived broken, taking the time to return it + driving to post office + printing label is not worth returning it.On top of that the feet is not very stable, the fixation for the camera is not design well enough to insure a consistent and stable position.